T.J. Bollers can do it all
Clear Creek-Amana defensive end T.J. Bollers has separated himself on the football field from his peers and it shows with how highly sought after he remains. We caught up with his football coach, Gabe Bakker, and talked to him about Bollers.
Q: How would you describe him overall as a football player?
BAKKER: He is what you want in a football player. He is an aggressive player who has the ability to play multiple positions. He understands the game and is very coachable. His combination of size and speed makes him a player you have to account for at all times.
Q: What do you feel are his main strengths at this point?
BAKKER: His quickness off the ball, use of his hands, and motor. He is relentless until the whistle blows. He is a very athletic player who really improved his blocking ability this year. He finished plays more aggressively this season than he did in his sophomore year.
Q: What areas is he going to continue working on this off-season?
BAKKER: Continuing to improve his hip mobility, as he has the ability to play a lot of positions at the next level. As he may move around on the defensive side of the ball, his knowledge of the overall defense. He is a strong athlete, but he will continue to improve his strength and lateral quickness.
Q: What separates him from his peers to get the type of attention and honors that he has received?
BAKKER: He has a rare combination of size, speed, athletic ability, academic success, and a work ethic that is second to none. He is not going to be outworked by anyone, whether that is in the off-season or in-season.
Q: What type of season did he have and how did you use him?
BAKKER: In my opinion, TJ had a great season. He made a significant impact on both sides of the ball, as teams had to know where he was at all times. He played defensive end in our 3-4 defense and played tight end in several personnel packages. He controlled the line of scrimmage defensively and made plays in the backfield. Offensively, we moved him around with motions to utilize his athletic ability in the run and pass game. His blocking was a great asset to our rushing attack and his ability to catch the ball helped us in our play action passing game.
Q: How would you describe him as a leader?
BAKKER: What's great about coaching high school athletes is being able to see their transformation from wide-eyed freshmen to upperclassmen who are ready for the leadership responsibilities needed to have successful teams. TJ is a leader by example, first-and-foremost. He is one to let his actions do the talking at practice, on game nights, in the off-season, and in the classroom. The part that changed this year is that he has become more vocal. He has words of encouragement for his teammates but is also not afraid to get after them when needed. What's most exciting to me is to see the growth he will have this off-season as a senior leader for our team.
Q: What colleges that haven’t offered are recruiting him?
BAKKER: Stanford, Northwestern, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kansas, and Alabama.
Q: Do you feel the Iowa connection will play a factor in his eventual decision?
BAKKER: There is no doubt there is a connection with the Iowa program, due to his family's ties to the program, their proximity to the Iowa campus, and TJ growing up a Hawk fan. However, I truly believe he is looking for the best fit athletically, academically, and socially.
Q: How has it been working with the Iowa staff during the recruiting process?
BAKKER: It has been great. I have a lot of respect for Coach Ferentz and his staff. I can't say enough good things about Coach Morgan, who started the process of recruiting TJ. In all of my interactions with them, they have been nothing but class. Scott Southmayd does a lot of awesome things for the program that doesn't get recognized in regard to their recruiting process.